The present invention relates to connectors, and more particularly to connectors for joining first and second objects.
Connectors are used in a wide variety of applications to connect two objects together. By way of example, in the furniture industry it is often necessary to connect two boards or walls that comprise part of the piece of furniture, and this is typically accomplished using a wide variety of connectors and/or connection means such as screws, nails, glue, dowels, rivets and specialty connectors. The type of connector used may depend on a variety of factors, including cost, appearance, the load the connector must support, and whether or not the connector is installed at the factory or other place of manufacture as opposed to being installed later (as is the case with xe2x80x9cready to assemblexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cRTAxe2x80x9d furniture or products that are sold in an unassembled state and assembled by the consumer).
One known type of connection device 10 is depicted in FIGS. 1-3. As shown in FIG. 1, the RTA connector 10 comprises a main portion 20 and a laterally extending column 40. The main portion 20 has sides 26, 32, a rear face 22, a front face 30, a top face 24, and a bottom face 28. The laterally extending column 40 includes an inner portion 42 and a distal portion 44. Typically, the RTA connector 10 is formed out of thermoplastic such as polystyrene or ABS.
FIGS. 2A-2C depict a top view, a front view and a rear view of the RTA connector 10 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, the laterally extending column 40 connects to the side face 32 of main portion 20 at a 90 degree angle. The main portion 20 also includes an aperture 34 which extends from the front face 30 through the rear face 22 at a 90 degree angle to the longitudinal axis of laterally extending column 40. As shown in FIG. 2B, along the central axis of aperture 34 a larger countersunk recess 36 is formed in the front portion of rear face 22. The diameter of the recess 36 is sufficiently large so as to receive the head of a screw or nail. The diameter of aperture 34, on the other hand, is smaller than the head of the screw or nail, but large enough to receive the shank end of the screw/nail. In this manner, a screw or nail may be inserted into the front face 30 of main portion 20 and through the rear face 22 into an object, to connect the RTA connector 10 to the object.
FIG. 3 illustrates how the RTA connector 10 may be used to connect two walls 50, 52, such as the walls of a bookcase or other piece of furniture, together. As shown in FIG. 3, the laterally extending column 40 is inserted into a mating hole 54 that has been drilled into one of the faces of wall 50. Wall 52 is placed so that it abuts against the front face edge 56 of wall 50 and extends perpendicularly to wall 50. As shown in FIG. 3, the hole 54 is drilled adjacent the edge of wall 50 such that when the laterally extending column 40 of the RTA connector 10 is inserted into the hole 54, the rear face 22 of the RTA connector 10 is flush with the front face 56 of wall 50. A screw 38 is then inserted into the recess 36 and the aperture 34 and screwed into the face 58 of wall 52. As the screw 38 is tightened, the head of the screw comes into contact with a face 39 that defines the side edge of the recess 36. Thus, by inserting laterally extending column 40 into the wall 50, and the screw 38 into the wall 52, the RTA connector 10 may be used to attach walls 50 and 52 at a 90 degree angle.
Ordinarily, connectors such as the RTA connector 10 are inexpensive, easy to use, and provide a secure connection. Many prior art connectors, however, do not provide as secure a joint as may be desired, and other connectors may be prohibitively expensive for certain applications. Accordingly, there is a need for improved connectors.
Connectors are provided that may be used to join two objects together. The connectors according to embodiments of the present invention may be used in both factory assembled and ready-to-assemble products. In certain embodiments of the present invention, the connectors comprise a body portion having a first surface for engaging a first object and an extending member that protrudes from the body portion that is configured to fit within an aperture on a second object. In these embodiments of the invention, the first surface and the extending member are inclined relative to each other. A fastener (e.g., a screw) is also provided that may be used to connect the body portion to the first object. By placing the extending member in the aperture on the second object, and by using the fastener to join the connector to the first object, the connector acts to connect the first and second objects together.
In certain embodiments of the present invention, the body portion of the connector further includes a second surface. This second surface meets the first surface at an angle that exceeds 90 degrees. In these embodiments, the extending member may protrude at least partly from the second surface. The body portion of the connector may also include a third surface that meets the second surface at an angle of greater than 100 degrees, and for certain applications, these surfaces may meet at an angle of between 120 and 170 degrees. In these embodiments, the connector may be configured such that when the fastener is used to connect the body portion of the connector to the first object, the third surface of the body portion comes into contact with the second object.
In other embodiments of the present invention, the connector is configured such that the relative angle formed by the intersection of the plane defined by the first surface and the longitudinal axis of the extending member is at least 4 degrees. In other embodiments, this angle is between 10 and 40 degrees. The connector may also include an aperture, and the fastener may be inserted through this aperture to connect the body portion of the connector to the first object. In certain embodiments, the central axis of this aperture is perpendicular to the first surface of the body portion of the connector. The connector may also be configured such that the longitudinal axis of the extending member and the central axis of the aperture form an angle of between 70 and 90 degrees. The connector may further be configured so that the extending member rotates about a moment arm to urge one side of the aperture in the second object towards the first object when the fastener is used to affix the body portion of the connector to the first object.
Methods of using the connectors of the present invention to attach a first object to a second object are also provided.